Entering the 2023-24 NBA season, several teams were expected to continue the success they had achieved during the previous few seasons. While several squads have failed to live up to those expectations this season (Los Angles Lakers, Golden State Warriors), others have maintained their places near the top of the league. Below are the teams that sit atop the latest NBA power rankings.
5
The Minnesota Timberwolves (26-10) are one of the biggest surprises in the league this season. Few prognosticators predicted that Minnesota would have the second-best record in the NBA more than a third of the way through the regular season, but the Timberwolves are shattering preseason expectations. Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards is in the process of becoming a superstar, and Karl-Anthony Towns has been solid this season. While Rudy Gobert has been a force in the paint for Minnesota, it would be interesting to see what the Timberwolves would look like with a third scorer next to Edwards and Towns.
4
Winners of six of their last seven games and equipped with one of the best lineups in basketball, the Los Angeles Clippers (23-13) are surging up the standings. Aside the superb coaching of Tyronn Lue, health has been the biggest contributing factor to LA’s early season success. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have each missed fewer than five games this season, and all of their top players have touched the floor at least 30 times in 36 games. If the Clippers can stay healthy throughout the regular season and playoffs, they could be a serious threat to dethrone the Denver Nuggets as Western Conference champions.
3
After losing back-to-back games only once early in the season, the Milwaukee Bucks (25-12) may be experiencing a mini slump. Milwaukee has lost four of its last five games, two of them coming to an Indiana Pacers team they can’t seem to beat. The Pacers have already swept the four-game season series with Milwaukee, and the Bucks’ upcoming schedule doesn’t get any easier as they’ll face the Boston Celtics and Sacramento Kings in their next two games. Despite their recent struggles, though, it would be shocking if Milwaukee wasn’t one of the final teams left standing in the Eastern Conference.
2
The Denver Nuggets (26-12) are one of the scariest teams in the NBA. While their goal is to win a second straight NBA title, the Nuggets appear to be stuck in cruise control early this season. Denver seems to be waiting for the postseason to arrive to take their play to the next level, but they’re winning the majority of their games anyway. That makes for a very scary team come playoff time. Depth could be an issue for the Nuggets when they reach the playoffs, but it will be interesting to see if the team makes a move before the trade deadline.
1
Winners of eight of their last 10 games, the Boston Celtics (28-8) have the best record in the league. Kristaps Porzingis has been a perfect complement to the dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White is having the best season of his career. Throw in the calm and steady presence that is Jrue Holiday with White in the backcourt, and the Celtics probably have the best five-man rotation in the NBA. Few teams have found ways to get the best of Boston this season. However, the Pacers may have cracked the code on Monday night: Win the game on incorrectly awarded free throws in the waning seconds of regulation.